The invention relates to an arrangement for filling a magazine of a movable spool package changing arrangement or doffing apparatus with tubes which, for carrying out a package spool changing operation, can be applied to the individual working positions of a machine which each produces one spool package and can be applied for taking over tubes from an intermediate magazine.
In a known arrangement of the initially mentioned type (German Patent Document DE-A 27 37 645), an intermediate magazine is provided at a machine end which can be swivelled around a vertical axis in such a manner that it can be assigned to movable spool package changing arrangements which in each case service one side of the machine. The intermediate magazine is provided so that conical spool tubes having a starter winding with a predetermined direction can be supplied in an orderly manner by a spool feeding device to the two spool package changing arrangements.
It is also known (German Patent Document DE-C 25 06 417) to arrange an intermediate magazine at each working position of the machine which stores one spare tube respectively. The intermediate magazine is supplied with tubes by a circulating chain conveyor. For this purpose, the intermediate magazines can be adjusted in such a manner that they can be moved into the moving range of the chain conveyor so that they remove one tube respectively from the chain conveyor.
It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement of the initially mentioned type which makes it possible to make available to the movable spool package changing device respective empty tubes rapidly and in a sufficient quantity.
This object is achieved in that a transport device for the feeding of tubes is provided which moves continuously past the intermediate magazine, and in that devices for removing tubes which pass by from the transport device and for refilling the intermediate magazine are assigned to the intermediate magazine.
In this development, the continuously running transport device is used as the main magazine which fills the intermediate magazine constantly, if required. It therefore becomes possible to constantly keep a sufficiently large number of tubes available in the area of the intermediate magazine and thus also in the area of the movable spool package changing arrangement so that a spool package changing operation can be carried out without interruption.
In a further development of the invention, it is provided that several intermediate magazines are provided distributed along the length of the machine. This has the advantage that, on the one hand, the movable spool package changing device, in each case, for the refilling of its magazine can travel to the closest intermediate magazine. In addition, this development has the advantage that virtually always a full intermediate magazine is available because one of the intermediate magazines will always be filled with tubes.
In the case of a simple embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the intermediate magazine is a shaft-type compartment having a filling opening facing the transport device and having an openable bottom to which the magazine of the spool package changing arrangement can be applied. Filling an intermediate magazine of this type is just as simple as emptying it because the tubes can move as a result of the force of gravity without the requirement of additional transfer elements.
In a further development of the invention, an endless conveying trough is provided which has a width that is adapted to the diameter of the tubes, a drivable belt guided upright being used as its bottom. As a result, an extremely simple construction is obtained, particularly since the belt can very easily be guided around the machine. The narrow side of the belt offers a sufficient pulling force for bringing the tubes to the intermediate storage device or devices.
In a further development of the invention, devices for the braking of the tubes carried along by the transport device are provided in front of the intermediate magazine in the moving direction. As a result, it is ensured that the tubes are not distributed on the transport device in any arbitrary manner but are essentially available in front of the intermediate magazine or magazines so that, as required, the intermediate magazines may be refilled with them.
In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the devices for the braking are constructed as an additional conveying device which is arranged in the area of the intermediate magazine and takes the tubes from the transport device moving at a higher transport speed and, after passage through the additional conveying device, transfers them back to the transport device. By means of the slower-moving additional conveying device, it is achieved that the tubes are collected in the area in front of the intermediate magazine. In addition, it is achieved that the tubes are conveyed faster behind the additional conveying device so that a separating of the tubes takes place which makes it possible that, as required, these can be filled into the intermediate magazine correspondingly separately.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.